Silent Promises
by reaa1210
Summary: For a nobody, her best friend sure was a charmer. Slightly AU, Finn&Rachel.
1. I Need You

**A/N: So I've been reading Glee fanfiction nonstop ever since I became a full-on Gleek about two months back, and I became immediately hooked on the adorable relationship deemed "Finchel" - I mean, honestly, who hasn't? **

**I don't do a whole lot of writing for fanfiction, but this idea just randomly came when I was reading this blog that challenged you to focus on only two characters and use at MOST, five lines of dialogue...in a half hour. I feel like I totally cheated and completely missed the point of the challenge, but this was pretty fun nonetheless. I'm extending the fun to anyone else who wants to join, too! (: It's totally out of my comfort zone to write like this (little dialogue, third person, short time limit), but what the hey! I'm a rebel!**

**I guess this is pretty AU (thanks to fanfiction, I now know what that means!). I didn't think about any background information while writing it, and I don't really know if it's necessary. I don't even know if Glee Club exists in this demented universe! Basically, Finn and Rachel are best friends, and a romantic relationship is still unfamiliar ground for the two. Of course though, being Finn and Rachel, there are still those romantic tendencies...*sigh***

**I feel like I should stop talking, but I'm a little nervous about the feedback for this. Comments would be appreciated! While this is a really random one-shot, I might be able to get a story out of it if you guys were intrigued at all. Anyway, enough of me! More finchel!**

* * *

"**In small proportions we just beauties see, and in short measures life may perfect be" – Ben Jonson**

Rachel never felt it necessary to be "normal".

While all the rest of her peers were drinking and smoking and flirting and "sexting" (whatever _that_ was), Rachel found more mature and productive ways to manage her time. She knew she was talented; she told herself so every morning in the mirror, and repeated it like a mantra in her head as she awaited the glory days of stardom. Why should she waste her youthful years like the rest of the kids in this town, content with sitting idly by while life flitted right on past? That was not Rachel Berry, and she would never be afraid to defy those silly little norms. Stereotypes were nasty, dirty things, and never would she allow herself to fall under their spells.

So yes, maybe Rachel Berry was anything but normal. But after all, what did being _normal_ even entail? Throwing her carefully established morals to the curb and acting irresponsible and impulsive? Playing that ludicrous game of "Follow the Leader" and giving up all the rights her forefathers fought blood and tears for? Frankly, these things seemed foolish and boorishly juvenile, adjectives never used to define the level-headed Rachel Berry.

They could, however, adorn the name Finn Hudson.

Somewhere between "Lima loser" and "rock bottom", Finn was dangerously stuck. Rachel felt metaphors were a fact of life, and Finn was truly holding onto the final straw, dangling over a pit so deep even Rachel couldn't help him out. She was scared for him, and Rachel was not accustomed to fear.

Finn was a follower with the potential to be a leader. He didn't necessarily smoke pot every night or get wasted every weekend (his words, not hers), but he would tag along because being different seemed like being an outcast, and he didn't want to think about all the shit that happened at home with his dad and how heartbroken his mom was and how much pressure was on him to take care of his family. He didn't want to be like everyone else, but he didn't know how else to _be. _Rachel made it look so _easy, _like walking with her head up high and her eyes straight ahead was effortless as people laughed and sniggered behind her back. She kept telling him to just follow her lead, to pretend that they were all just jealous, but he could never adopt that fierce confidence. He just didn't have it in him.

Lately things had been getting bad, _really _bad. With school out for the summer and no teachers or responsibilities breathing down his back, Finn had let himself _go, _to such a degree that he honestly could not remember how or why he woke up last weekend lying in a canoe in the middle of Puck's pool. The saddest part? He didn't even care – he just rowed himself over to the ladder and climbed down, stumbling home and ignoring the screams he heard his mother tossing at his closed bedroom door as he let sleep consume him once again.

To say that Rachel was worried would be the understatement of the century. Rachel Berry did _everything _better than everyone else, and her distress was enough to give those Apocalypse-fearing neighbors of hers a run for their money.

She took care of Finn a lot. She would let him in to stay over if he was too drunk to go home, or would pick him up from a party if he was high and couldn't even drive – she was always being a friend to him, until she did some extensive therapy research and stumbled across the term "enabler". When she tossed the term and its meaning at him late one night, he'd grumbled something incoherent and just curled up tighter to her bright pink blanket.

It was a futile attempt.

Finn never mentioned these low moments, and often times he would sneak out early in the morning out of embarrassment and cowardice. Rachel was too good to him, too good _for_ him, and he dreaded the day she figured all that out and left him high and dry. She was a smart girl, and it was bound to happen someday soon.

One morning after Rachel had responded to a two-AM phone call from a slightly slurring Finn, she decided that enough was enough. Fuming when he stumbled into her car, passed out against her window and drooling down the glass, Rachel heaved the sleeping Finn from the passenger's seat and struggled to move under his massive frame. He may have hit the pavement _once or twice, _but she knew he wouldn't remember. Besides, it made her feel better...

That night she shed five minutes worth of tears for her plummeting best friend – she always allotted specific amounts of time for her tasks, and mourning was certainly one of them – and the next morning she woke up extra early, sitting cross-legged on her bed and waiting for Finn to wake.

When he did, she quietly let out her frustrations. She told him of the worry and suppressed resentments she was feeling over his constant, hazardous lifestyle. She desperately revealed her dislike for this person that he had become, and pleaded with him to remember who he had once been before he gave his identity to the "herd". She begged him to listen to her when she told him how good a person he was, about how he could _be _somebody and show that he was more than just this sad, teenage boy. He had such wonderful potential, she insisted, if only he would just embrace it. She finally whispered that he couldn't do this anymore, that he needed to get himself together and show that he was better than this, because she couldn't, _wouldn't, _enable this behavior any longer.

Finn became angry. He didn't need this. Bitterly he questioned how Rachel knew anything about who he was and what he could become. He was a nobody, a Lima loser, and if Rachel was so high and mighty, why did she waste her time trying to clean up after scum like him? Sure, she believed in him, but sometimes it did less to inspire him than it did to overwhelm him when he couldn't live up to her expectations. Maybe he just didn't have it in him to be great. Maybe he was doomed to this life of _nothingness _for good, and maybe there was no good way out. Maybe Rachel Berry was destined for greatness, but Finn Hudson sure wasn't.

Rachel accepted his outburst quietly, sadly soaking in his unfeeling eyes and sharp, bitter tongue, before giving her short, strong defense – that she _knew_ who he was, and what he was capable of accomplishing. She hated that only she could see it, and sooner or later, he was going to have to see it for himself, because she couldn't be the sole person in his cheering section anymore.

Finn dropped his head in shame, refusing to meet Rachel's pitiful stares, and climbed out her window, thanking her for her "hospitality", as she'd put it, and promising not to hold her back anymore. The rest of the weekend was miserable for both, and when Sunday night came, neither had slept more than a wink. Finn found it strange to sleep in his own bed, and Rachel felt oddly lonely with only her own heartbeats lulling her to sleep.

The hours seemed to blend endlessly, but at some point that morning, Rachel tossed in her bed, only to hear soft _pink-pinks_ on her bedroom window. Tired and annoyed, she opened the window only to see Finn standing just below, clad in green plaid pajama bottoms and his characteristic white undershirt. Her heart slumped just slightly, missing the sight of her best friend (her _clean, sensible_ best friend) more than she actually knew. Maybe she had taken advantage of his presence in the past…

She let him in and he silently stood in front of her, scuffing his feet on her carpet and making no attempt to say a word. She smelled no trace of his bad habits on him, only the fresh scent of his light body wash and a sweet flowery one she couldn't trace. He met her eyes and she wordlessly placed a comforting hand on his arm, choosing not to comment on his rosy red cheeks and weary eyes, accentuated by deep, purple circles underneath. She smiled non-judgingly and walked over to retrieve his blanket and pillow from her neatly organized closet, tossing them his way, along with one more soft smile, before plopping back on her bed and flicking off the light switch of the lamp. After a few, silent minutes, she heard the rustling of a blanket and knew Finn had turned on his side, facing her. She felt his eyes on her, and despite the blackness that clouded her vision, she could _feel_ his chocolate brown eyes begging for her forgiveness.

"Rach?" he asked, and she faced the sound, her pulse threatening to shoot her heart from her chest. She hated how strangely her body was reacting to this familiar scene.

She knew what he was saying, and she knew how hard it would be for him to voice the words. She let his silence envelop her just for a moment, hearing what he so desperately wanted but knowingly couldn't proclaim. He just…couldn't.

She sighed, a tired but content sound. "I know," she whispered into the dark. "I'm sorry, too."

Without her sense of sight her other senses seemed to be on high alert. She could practically taste the tension lift from the air and hear the contented release of the breath Finn most likely hadn't consciously known he was holding. She could smell his scent waft past her as he assumedly relaxed onto his back, his favorite sleeping position since she could remember. She could practically touch the wondrous smile that most definitely flitted to his face, his ease a tangible substance to her. She was just…in tuned to him, like no other before. It was just…different, and she never worried over questioning _why._

She just _was._

Before her eyes fell shut under the heavy weight of sleep, she heard a tired, smiling voice drift up from the floor beneath her.

"Goodnight, Rach," and she allowed the sound to lull her into her dreams.

When she awoke the next morning to find the blanket and pillow folded haphazardly on her carpet, and her bedroom window cracked just enough to weasel out, her heart felt oddly heavier. She had thought things were okay…

Sighing dejectedly, she heaved herself off her bed and made her way to the bedding, about to return them to their spot in the closet just to be knowingly pulled out again the following night. She sighed again over the predictability of it all. As she reached the sheets, however, two new objects caught her attention, and she took a second to absorb them and catch her stuttered breathing before reaching down and taking them in her hands. Plopping backwards on the floor, she stared at the two inoffensive items as if she couldn't understand what they were. She understood what they _were_ alright, it was just…

What did they _mean?_

The first was a small, gentle, pink lily, weightless in her hands but pressing heavily down on her chest. She immediately linked the smell to that flowery one she'd detected the night before, and wondered what Finn had meant by bringing it along. She turned the thing around and around between her fingers, inspecting it like it held all the answers to these new, jumbling questions in her mind. She lifted it to her nose once, inhaling, and found that she'd discovered a new favorite scent. And her same favorite boy who'd given it to her.

Resting daintily on her lap was a folded piece of construction paper, bright yellow with silver glitter flakes floating down off the edges. She recognized the scrap paper from that silly art project she brought home from the summer camp she helped to run. That she was forced into making a "_My favorite thing about the summer is_…" card as well seemed a little ridiculous to her, but she was nothing if not a sucker for making those adorable children happy. Scrawled across the front was her name in big, brick letters, underlined in green and blue marker. She unfolded it carefully, wondering what could be hidden behind but also terrifyingly afraid to find out. Why was her heart going into cardiac arrest all of a sudden? This couldn't be normal, or healthy…

She watched as a few more sparkles fluttered off the paper and opened the card, her eyes meeting these small, harmless words that seriously threatened the regularity of her heartbeats for good. There were bunches of crossed out words and messy scribbles, even an x-ed out smiley face that she couldn't help but chuckle at.

At the very bottom of the paper though, were the words,

"I'm sorry. And thank you."

He signed it with a sloppy "Finn", his penmanship always casual and untailored, just like him. Her face broke out into an all-out, cheesy, school girl grin, and she didn't care one bit. She just brought that flower to her nose once more and stared longingly at those five simple words.

For a nobody, her best friend sure was a charmer.


	2. Best Friend

**A/N: I don't even think I can begin to say how excited it made me that all you guys read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this story! Honestly, it was such an awesome feeling, that it kind of inspired me to write another one (:**

**I wasn't planning to add anything else to this story...it really was an errant one-shot and that's it. But I kind of fell in love with the idea of the perfect Finn+Rachel friendship, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to write it again. This story doesn't even have to relate to the first chapter. It's really just the same theme, I guess. So for anyone who preferred that I kept it as a one-shot (and honestly, I'm one of them), you can totally forget the first chapter existed and just think of this as a one-shot in itself! :)**

**Okay, it's offically 5:07AM where I'm at, and I'm not even tired. This isn't good. I think I need a Finchel detox... Anyway, enjoy! This is incredibly long and probably pointless at times, but I'll blame it on sleep deprivation. Reviews make me smile, by the way. Just saying. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Tim McGraw, Family Guy, or Gapper (A.K.A. Mr. Red). Wow, are these things meant to make you depressed?**

* * *

"**Love is friendship, friendship is love. If love fails, friendship should remain. For friendship is the foundation of love." – Anonymous**

Rachel Berry had no clue when it started happening, but she knew there was no stopping it.

It was inevitable, like her long-lasting Broadway career or her multiple Tony Awards. It was definite, like her prosperous life in New York City or her A on this week's English Test. It was mind-boggling, incredible, breath-taking, like…like…

Like Finn Hudson.

She'd been wrestling with her feelings ever since…well, she wasn't really sure when. That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? It seemed like one day she woke up and BAM. She hated not knowing when it had started. She hated being in the dark about her feelings, especially when the feelings involved the person she'd thought she knew almost better than herself. If Rachel Berry knew anything, it was Finn Hudson. Now, though? She wasn't so sure.

When Finn stood that day in Glee and announced the song he'd be singing, Rachel was anything but thrilled. She did _not_ need to be hearing his beautiful voice right now, not while her thoughts were swimming in memories of him and hoping desperately to solve that most maddening mystery.

When the opening chords of Tim McGraw's song filled the choir room, though, Rachel knew it was inescapable. Finn's voice flooded her ears and she couldn't fight the familiar scenes that raced into her thoughts. Maybe this could help to pinpoint the moment all this had happened to her?

_I never had no one I could count on,  
I've been let down so many times.  
I was tired of hurtin', so tired of searchin'  
'til you walked into my life.  
It was a feelin' I'd never known,  
And for the first time, I didn't feel alone…_

* * *

"_Hey Rach?" he murmured, his voice just above a whisper. _

"_Hmm?" _

_She heard nothing from Finn, just the whisper of his breathing and his unspoken question. Rachel closed her eyes, drowsiness overtaking her as she waited for Finn to speak. He was silent for what seemed like ages before finally answering, his voice a hushed murmur. _

"_Do you think we'll ever get out of this place?"_

_The question held something she couldn't quite detect – worry, apprehension, longing? Whatever it was, Rachel didn't like it. Turning on her side, she answered from her heart. _

"_I do, Finn. I truly and honestly do."_

_She could hear him fiddling with his blanket, and frowned that his worry hadn't calmed. He didn't speak though, so she assumed he was at least content with her response. As she was closing her eyes, Rachel heard his voice again._

"_Rachel?"_

_She sighed. "Yes, Finn?" _

"_Why do you think I can talk to you about stuff like this? It's just so easy with you, like I feel like no matter what I say you won't think I'm a total idiot. I just feel…what's that word?"_

_She yawned noisily. "Comfortable?"_

"_Yeah, that's it – comfortable, around you. Why is that?"_

"_I'm not sure, Finn," she said, her eyes too heavy to stay open."Maybe it's my impeccable listening abilities. Or maybe it's my unassuming and long-suffering demeanor."_

_Finn cleared his throat._

"_Or maybe it's just because you're my best friend," she chuckled, certain that Finn hadn't understood a word of her previous response._

_He sighed in understanding. "Yeah, maybe…"_

_Perfectly content, Rachel turned on her side and curled comfortably against her pillow, just on the verge of sleep. She thought she heard him call to her again, but this was starting to resemble the boy who cried wolf, so she simply ignored it. Suddenly, though, she felt the cushion of her bed sag slightly and a rough hand nudging her shoulder. Opening her eyes, Rachel met the nervous gaze of Finn Hudson. _

"_Rachel? Rach, wake up…"_

_She reached over to flick the lamp switch before hoisting herself into a sitting position. Finn's eyes were flitting wildly around the room, his hands fidgeting in his lap. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. _

_Rachel ran a hand over her face before speaking, hoping to rid some sleep from her eyes. "What is it, Finn? What's wrong?"_

"_I heard a noise." _

_He spoke as if this was the most acceptable excuse in the world. He looked like he were about five years old, with his hair sticking out in all different directions atop his head and his eyes staring apprehensively into hers. She tried to smile, but it fell from her lips when another yawn filled her lungs. She was tired, and Finn was waking her because he had heard a noise?_

"_Finn, I'm sure it was nothing," she said, failing to keep the petulance from her tone. She settled back against her pillow. "Go back to sleep."_

_Finn shook his head frantically. "No, I swear I heard it," he protested, shaking her shoulder again when she'd closed her eyes. Rachel glared. "You don't think it's like a burglar or a serial killer or something, do you? I saw this movie once about these weird demon zombie things that broke into this guy's house and ate him whole – they like, sucked his guts out of his belly button. It was gross…well, kind of awesome but… you don't think that'll happen, do you? Rach?"_

_Exhaling tiredly, Rachel rested a hand over her face. "No Finn," she muttered. "I don't think there are any robbers or killers or ghosts or creepy alien –"_

"_Zombie…"_

"–_freaks trying to take over my bedroom."_

"_I'm telling you I heard something, Rachel. It was like a screeching or screaming or something…"_

"_Finn, _I'm _telling you it was nothing. Now, just go back to –"_

"_Can I lay with you instead?"_

_Rachel's eyes shot open instantly. Did her best friend just ask to sleep with her? _

_She met his questioning gaze and conceded that he had. Her heart started to race and she suddenly felt extremely hot under this light blanket. Finn was still waiting for an answer, his eyes holding an innocence that caught her breath in her throat, and Rachel detected for the first time specks of yellow in his deep brown gaze. She wondered idly if they had always been there, and perhaps she was too blind to notice._

"_Rachel?" Finn's worry brought her back to reality, and she offered a soft smile, hoping it had some calming effect – for both of them. _

"_Of course, Finn." Rachel patted the spot next to her, scooting over to make more room. "Just try not to snore."_

_She didn't know why her heart pounded when he smiled a big cheesy grin, or why breathing seemed impossible when he lifted the covers and climbed in next to her, his feet grazing hers ever so lightly. She felt the heat emitting from his body, his scent intoxicating. She felt drunk. _

_Without looking Rachel could feel Finn's goofy smile. "Thanks, Rach." When he wrapped his big arm around her waist, she thought her heart had sunk into her stomach. _

_It had taken her an hour to get her heartbeats under control, and another two before she could tear her eyes from his sleeping figure and slip into the same peaceful oblivion._

* * *

Finn's eyes hadn't left Rachel throughout the entire first verse, and had Rachel not been lost somewhere in their past she might have noticed.

Feeling Finn's eyes boring into her, Rachel tentatively glanced up, wondering how long it would take her heart to jump out her chest and just walk right over to him. As he reached the refrain, she resisted the urge to join in. Her heartbeats seemed to stutter as he sang the words she so desperately wished were true.

_You're more than a lover,  
There could never be another to make me feel the way you do.  
Oh, we just get closer,  
I fall in love all over, every time I look at you.  
I don't know where I'd be, without you here with me.  
Life with you makes perfect sense.  
You're my best friend,  
You're my best friend…_

_

* * *

_

_Rachel stared sullenly as she watched _another _little girl walk past her, a big sticky grin slapped on her face and an even bigger stuffed animal wrapped up in her arms. _

_She knew it was childish, but she _wanted _one! No one goes to a carnival without winning a prize, like one of those massive stuffed panda bears hanging right over there. The problem was, Rachel had absolutely no athletic abilities whatsoever, and for some reason, all of these games seemed to consist of throwing some sort of ball through a hoop or hitting a target with some sort of gun; Rachel Berry did not condone the illegal use of firearms. The worst one consisted of using this big heavy hammer to ring a bell. These were _not _in Rachel Berry's repertoire._

_She sighed grumpily, snatching a large chunk of cotton candy from Finn's hand and stuffing it into her mouth. He looked to her like she'd robbed him. "Hey," he frowned, pulling his candy out of her reach. He eyed her cranky expression and confusion graced his features. "What's wrong with you?"_

_Rachel folded her arms across her chest, looking away. "Nothing," she grumbled. _

_Finn rolled his eyes, giving her a knowing look._

"_I want one of those stuffed animals!" she conceded, her hands flying to her hips in forfeit. "I know it's incredibly juvenile, but I despise the fact that everyone seems to have one but me."_

_She expected Finn to run away screaming, thinking she was crazy, but instead he just laughed, the sound a loud chuckle. She searched his face in frustration; she didn't think this was funny. _

_When she didn't join in, Finn turned to her again. Her mouth stayed set in a sullen frown. "You really want one, Rach?"_

_She nodded sheepishly, admiring that snuggly panda and its smiling face. She smiled back._

"_Alright," Finn declared, tossing his candy in the trash bin and marching toward the game entitled "Hammertime" . Finn dropped a twenty on the counter and rolled up his sleeves, eyeing the hammer determinedly. _

_Rachel flitted to his side. "What are you doing?" she questioned, watching as he struck the platform and a stream of lights flew halfway up the stand. _

"_Winning you one of those fluffy animal things," he grunted, using all his strength to swing the hammer a second time. _

_Incredulously Rachel looked on as Finn hoisted the mallet over his shoulder time and time again, each strike falling short of that bell atop the board. After what must have been forty dollars worth of tries, Rachel decided it just wasn't worth it. _

"_Finn," she tried, placing a hand on his shoulder mid-swing. He dropped the hammer with a 'whoosh'. "I really appreciate you doing this for me, but I think it's time to go. I can just get one another time."_

_The look that crossed Finn's eyes reminded her of a lost puppy. He looked as if she'd just told him that Rudolph died. _

_He sighed, defeated. "Sorry, Rachel. I really wanted to win that thing." _

_She smiled thankfully. "Thank you for trying, Finn." Rachel squeezed his hand briefly before going to say her goodbyes to the rest of her friends. She assumed Finn was following her, but when she couldn't find him in the crowd behind her, she gave up and decided she might as well just walk home._

_That night when Rachel returned home, she plopped on her bed in exhaustion, her whole body feeling sluggish and heavy. Something lumpy was resting under her back rather uncomfortably, and she sat up to discover the nuisance. Lifting the object in her hands, Rachel eyed the smiling black and white face of a small, stuffed panda bear. She could feel her heart swell in her chest, a smile already fitting its way onto her lips. It only grew when her eyes spotted a sleeping Finn in his usual spot on her floor, the ghost of a smile on his sleeping lips as well._

_She had slept with the bear every night since._

* * *

She really wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. Shouldn't this song be over by now?

_You stand by me,  
And you believe in me like nobody ever has_

Grinning cleverly, Finn strutted over to Rachel's side and bent down so he could meet her at eye level. His gaze held a hint of teasing, loads of warmth, and a tinge of something Rachel couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the same thing that was currently pooling in her stomach, churning restlessly and dangerously close to spilling over. She gulped, refusing to name the frightening emotion. It was too much.

_When my world goes crazy,  
You're right there to save me.  
You make me see how much I have._

* * *

_Rachel Berry was _scared_. _

_Though she hated to admit it, with each inch the ski lift moved Rachel could feel her heart sinking lower, lower, lower into her gut. Why had she even agreed to do this in the first place? She looked to her right, her gaze meeting a rosy-cheeked, wide-toothed Finn, bouncing in the chair like a kid on Christmas morning. Atop his head was a navy blue ski cap with a big, gold star right on top (a gift from Rachel, of course), and he was drumming his glove-clad fingers on the safety bar in his excitement. He met her eyes and smiled even wider, telling her again just how happy he was that she'd decided to join him._

Yeah_, now she remembered why she'd said yes._

"_You're sure this is a good idea, Finn?" Rachel asked, her knees shaking uncontrollably. _

_Finn turned to face her. "What do you mean? Of course it is! Snowboarding is like, the best thing in the whole world!"_

"_You don't think I'll fall, right? You don't think somehow my vision will get clouded and my legs will cramp and I'll tumble down the whole slope? I won't break my leg and ruin my entire dancing career, right?" Rachel became frantic when Finn started to chuckle. "Right? This isn't funny, Finn. There is no way I can play Maria with a bum leg!"_

_They were three away from the top, and Rachel could feel her heart threatening to jump from her chest when Finn lifted the bar over their heads._

"_Rachel, relax," Finn soothed, trying and failing to smother his overwhelming excitement. "You're gonna love this! It's like singing and dancing and gold stars all mixed up into the most awesome thing ever!" She didn't look convinced. "Now, get it together! We're getting off next!"_

_Rachel gulped as the girl in front of her tumbled off the lift, falling face first into the snow. That was a bad omen, right? She could feel her bulky snowsuit closing in on her, stealing the air from her lungs and leaving her light-headed. She was sure her legs couldn't hold her up; they felt like icicles. _

_Squeezing her eyes closed shut, Rachel felt Finn pull on her arm and her feet hit the ground. She was surprised then when she opened her eyes to find herself standing at the peak of what she assumed was Mount Everest. The end was nowhere in sight, and she was sure she'd never seen anything so steep. _

_What had happened to the bunny slope?_

"_Alright, Rach," Finn yelled; she wasn't entirely sure why he was shouting when he was less than two feet away from her. "Just do what I taught you down at the lodge. Keep your back foot steady and hold your balance. It's really not all that hard. You got this!"_

"_Finn!" Rachel called, her voice shaky. "I'm not so sure about this…"_

"_I am. You can do this!"_

_Finn was right. She was Rachel Berry! Of course she could do this. She _would _do this. Taking one more deep, calming breath, Rachel's eyes set determinedly as she observed the slope in front of her. Slowly, gradually, she wiggled her way forward and turned, feeling the board start to slide downhill._

_She heard Finn's encouraging cheers and the zip of the wind rush past her as she flew down the slope, but soon the wind was coming too fast and Finn's yells grew louder and she felt totally out of control of her body. Before she could stop though, she felt her legs fly from under her and soon, everything went black…_

_When Rachel awoke she felt as if her head was resting on a merry-go-round. Her ears pounded and rang annoyingly, a throbbing shooting from the crown of her head to the pit of her stomach and back up. She tried to speak, but the air had literally been knocked out of her. _

"_Rachel?"_

_Her eyes searched around for the voice – she knew it was Finn's – and she finally was lifted up against something hard and uncomfortable. Looking around, she realized she was in some sort of infirmary. The walls were clean white and there was just a first aid stand and a large space heater in the corner. Finn was twirling around on a doctor's stool._

"_You took a pretty big spill there," he spoke matter-of-factly. _

_She rolled her eyes, immediately regretting it when she felt her head spin painfully. "Gee, thanks Finn. I wouldn't have guessed."_

_Finn stopped twisting in his seat. "I'm sorry, Rach. Are you okay? How are you feeling? You were out for like a whole ten minutes. And you kept mumbling something about winding up just like Riff, or rift, or something. It all sounded like gibberish to me…"_

"_I'm fine, Finn. I really just want to go home and lay down."_

_He shook his head. "No can do, Rach. I'm under strict orders to keep you up for the rest of the night. Doc said your brain can like swell and hurt and stuff, and I told him you were already really smart and I was pretty sure your brain couldn't get any bigger, but he said it was important. He said you could go into a coma, and then you wouldn't wake up. So, sorry Rach, but I just don't think I can let that happen."_

_Rachel sighed; her headache seemed to have died down, but now she was just _tired. _Not being able to sleep would be torture. _

_The whole ride home, Finn blasted Journey's Greatest Hits, belting out all the songs and yelling to Rachel to sing along. Every time she rested her head on the glass of the window, Finn would nudge her hard in the shoulder and turn the volume dial up just a little bit more. Rachel groaned; he was slowly becoming a major pain in her ass…_

_Finn had insisted on carrying her up to her room, though she didn't put up much of a fight. Knowing Finn had such a short attention span, Rachel really hoped that he'd long forgotten the doctor's orders and would just let her get some sleep. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take this._

_To Rachel's surprise – her _pleasant _surprise – Finn told her he would be staying the night and "nursing her back to health". She tried to tell him that it was just a concussion; she wasn't going to die, her brains weren't going to start coming out her ears (Finn was bummed about that one. "That'd be kind of awesome, though, right Rach?"), and she would not be in need of a sponge bath any time soon (Rachel never thought Finn's cheeks could get that red in embarrassment). Well, Finn wasn't having any of it. The paramedic had evidently given Finn the title of "Rachel's personal nurse" until she was better, and Finn took his position _very _seriously. "At your service, Rachel, twenty-four seven… I took an oath."_

_After three of her favorite musicals and the longest marathon of "American Idol" even _she _had witnessed, Rachel was positive her eyelids were about to fall off. It was one AM, and a tired Rachel was a cranky Rachel. _

"_Finn, this is ridiculous," Rachel complained. "This show is abysmal." She found nothing funny about an evil baby with an English accent and a horny, talking dog making some sexual innuendo that she wasn't entirely sure she understood. Why couldn't she just go to sleep already?_

_Finn shot up from the pillow next to her and stared incredulously. Did she just _diss _Family Guy? Wait…did she? He wasn't quite sure what a bis-mall was. "Rachel, Family Guy is an Emmy-winning show! How can you not think this is genius?"_

"_Did you just ask that question?"_

_Finn sighed, wracking his brain for _anything _to keep her awake. He'd already exhausted her top-three list of the "world's greatest musicals"; he wasn't sure he could suffer through another. He saw Rachel's eyes droop shut and panicked. _

"_Tell me a story!"_

_She yawned, snuggling her head against the closest thing she could – Finn's shoulder. "Excuse me?"_

"_Yeah," Finn said, nodding enthusiastically as he lifted Rachel's head from his arm. She groaned when he forced her to sit up. "We never get to just talk anymore, you know? Just me and you. This is the perfect time for it! So come on, tell me something no one knows about you."_

_Rachel sighed, failing to adopt the same enthusiasm Finn had over making small talk at one in the morning. She wracked her tired brain for any secret she could think of, one that Finn didn't already know. It was harder than she thought. "Well," Rachel started. "Last week, when I told everyone in Glee that my yoga instructor had me under strict orders not to do any extensive dance moves, as they could very well alter the therapeutic treatments for my back injury… I lied." She spoke as if this was the most blasphemous thing she could ever admit. She gulped once before she continued. "I hadn't been paying much attention to the choreography that week, and I didn't want to admit that I was unsure of the steps. So, I lied."_

"_That's it?" Finn asked, his voice thick with incredulity. "_That's _the first secret that comes to mind?" He resisted the urge to snort; he was sure Rachel would deem the act extremely impolite, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings. _

"_Well," Rachel defended, turning her head away irritably. "You know everything else about me."_

_Finn chuckled, his massive body shaking her slightly. "I got one," he announced. "This is something you _definitely _don't know about me."_

_Rachel kept quiet, her ears perking up in intrigue. When he didn't continue, she grew impatient. "I'm listening."_

"_I didn't sleep at all when you left for New York last month."_

_Was it just Rachel, or was the silence now deafening?_

_Finn continued as if his statement needed no response. "It was just like, you weren't here. I couldn't talk to you or see you and I don't know – I guess it messed me up pretty good. My mom thought I was sick or something. But I told her it was just a Rachel-detox… But that convinced her I was on drugs, and I had to go talk to this lady about how drugs are bad for you and can hurt you and stuff…Anyway, I was like, lost without you, Rach. I guess you really are like my own kind of drug."_

_Rachel wasn't sure she had heard him right. She knew she was drowsy, but now she was convinced she'd gone mental. Finn missed her? He _needed _her? Since when? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? She felt light-headed again, but this time it was for entirely different reasons. _

"_Rach?"_

_Her head snapped up when she felt Finn's eyes on her, and it began to pound uncontrollably when she met his warm, soft gaze. She was hyperaware of his arm draped across her shoulder, his strong hand running lazy fingers down her arm, sending her skin tingling with goosebumps. Her eyes closed in on his soft pink lips and she had to bit hers to keep from reaching out for him. _

_She swallowed hard, her whole mouth feeling suddenly like clay. "Yes?"_

_Smiling his dimpled grin, Finn bumped her softly with his shoulder. "It's your turn."_

* * *

Blood was rushing to her cheeks, and fast. She didn't need to be remembering these things, especially while Finn was serenading her like he was now. Wait, that was presumptuous, wasn't it? How did she know he was singing to her.

He walked back over and glided his hand across the back of her chair, throwing a wink to her over his shoulder while he made his way back to the front of the room.

Well, maybe it _was_ directed towards her…

_You make me see how much I have.  
And I still tremble when we touch,  
And oh, the look in your eyes  
When we make love._

* * *

"_Do I have to eat this?_

"_Rachel, we're at a baseball game. You _have _to eat a chilly dog," Finn sighed, feeling like he'd already explained this five times. He finally understood Rachel's irritation when he didn't understand half of what she said. "Besides," he continued. "You got a tofu-dog, and you put coleslaw on it. I'm only letting this slide 'cause you don't eat meat."_

_Groaning, Rachel stared at the object in her hands as if it were completely revolting. She'd been being difficult all day long, and she was well aware of her sour mood, but she had no intention of changing it. _

_There was a marathon of Broadway Classics on demand all day, and she had just been carrying a bowl of non-fat frozen yogurt into the living room when the doorbell rang. When she had answered it, she met a frowning Finn, mumbling a dejected "hi" and trudging his way toward her couch. _

_He dismally explained that Burt had gotten tickets to the first Reds game of the season for the two of them, but he'd gotten backed up at work and said he couldn't make it. Now he had an extra ticket and no one to go with. She should have realized his intentions when he put on an extra-sad frown and gave her those infamous puppy dog eyes, but truthfully she was too wrapped up in his distress to protect herself from his tricks. She placed a caring hand on his shoulder and asked politely what she could do to make him feel better. Finn's eyes curiously lost their misery and quickly perked up as he suggested that she join him. Before Rachel could protest, Finn had hopped off the couch and skipped toward the door. Making his way to the car, he yelled over his shoulder that they better get going – it was a three-hour drive, and he really wanted some dip 'n' dots. _

"_Rach, can't you pretend like you're having a good time?"_

_Rachel glared before quickly sighing when she noticed Finn's offended expression. "I'm trying, Finn, but I told you – I really don't understand anything about this game. I mean honestly, it's grown men swinging around an oversized stick of wood and excessively diving head first into the dirt. And really, do they need to spit that much? Every time they go to that pentagon-shaped box–"_

"_It's called 'home plate', Rach…"_

"_Yeah, well every time they go home, then, they spit and rub it in the dirt. It's _repulsive"

_Finn sighed and ran a hand over his face. He couldn't even get a word out, because Rachel was at it again. _

"_And don't even get me started on that girl who sang the 'National Anthem'!" Rachel stormed. Finn imagined her hands would be resting firmly on her hips were she standing. "She missed almost all of her high notes, and she was sharp when she should have been flat and flat when she should have been sharp and…ugh! They should _not _allow amateurs to sing what is indisputably our nation's greatest paean."_

_Finn groaned. What was she even _talking _about? _

"_And Finn?" Her voice suddenly dropped in volume and she leaned in close. He rolled his eyes but complied. "This man sitting beside me has just consumed his sixth beer, and he insists on…_belching_ right into my breathing space!"_

_Finn couldn't even hold back. Did Rachel Berry just say the word "belch"? Not caring about the miniature punches he would surely received, Finn laughed until his sides started to hurt. _

"_Rachel," Finn started, carefully eyeing her pouting lips. "You're talking about America's pastime here! You just don't understand how a baseball game works. This is like…" He wracked his brain for the right word. "Art," he decided, saying the word with a firm nod. _

"_Art?" She repeated uneasily. _

"_Yes, art. These players – they're like Broadway actors. They train and work and rehearse year round, for this exact day. The first game of the season is like opening night to these guys. And all the hard work they've put in is ready to be shown to the world when they step on that field; it's their stage to shine." Finn was totally pulling this out of his ass, but Rachel seemed to be buying it by the way her expression turned into one of wonderment, staring down at the grassy turf as if it were Radio City Music Hall. _

"_Criticizing the way they perform is like telling that India Metzel girl–"_

"_Idina Menzel, Finn."_

"_Right, what you said… It's like telling her she doesn't know how to act! It's slamming her art, Rachel!" Finn knew he should have toned it down there at the end, but darn it he was defending men everywhere! Plus, Rachel and her overly-dramatic tendencies really started to rub off after awhile. _

_Rachel's wide eyes glistened with tears when he finished, gaping like he'd just told her that the Vonn Trapp family was splitting up. She wiped away some stray tears before setting her eyes resolutely. "You're right, Finn. I have no right to critique something I know absolutely nothing about! I cannot believe how hypocritical and inconsiderate I was behaving toward such accomplished individuals as these fine men playing before us!"_

_Finn exhaled relaxingly. So…she agreed with him?_

"_Right," he muttered. "Why don't I just teach you about the game, Rach?"_

_The next hour and a half was spent with Rachel learning everything there was to know about the game of baseball. Finn taught her every position and the players who played them; he drilled her on the basic rules and regulations, as well as the different types of pitches; and, most importantly, he taught her how to pack a whole hunk of Big League Chew in her cheek all at once. _

_Rachel had to admit – she was really starting to enjoy herself. Seeing Finn so passionate about something was doing strange things to her heartbeat, and she couldn't say she was averse to it. His boyish grin when she'd stood up and booed the umpire after a terrible call had ignited a rapid fire under her skin, and his massive bear hug when the third baseman hit – what did he call it? A grand slam? – made her heart do somersaults in her chest. _

_When the seventh-inning stretch rolled around, Rachel thought she would pass out. She'd been screaming non-stop since she'd learned the ins and outs of this nifty little game, and her throat felt like it was on fire. Still, she managed to belt out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when it sounded over the speakers (octaves louder than everyone else, might she add), and she even got a signed "Gapper" doll from Gapper himself. Rachel had to say, she wasn't sure the day could get any better._

_Finn returned with two big ice cream cones and Rachel thanked him with a big smile before taking a generous lick. Sighing dreamily, she relaxed in her seat and rested her head tiredly against Finn's shoulder, telling him how glad she was that he'd chosen to take her with him. He smiled down happily at her and grasped her hand in his, causing some serious tingles to shoot down her spine. She passed it off as the chilly effects of her ice cream cone. _

"_You know, if I wasn't seeing it with my own two eyes, I would never believe it," Finn joked. _

_Rachel chuckled at his silly grin. "What?"_

"_This. You, sitting in these uncomfortable metal chairs for hours, at a sports event, yelling and cheering and booing…actually enjoying yourself." He smiled again, this one softer, and much more meaningful. Rachel gulped uneasily, hoping to remove the sudden lump that seemed lodged in her throat. "It means a lot that you came today, Rach. Thank you."_

_When did her best friend suddenly become so incredibly adorable? Looking at him now, Rachel wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed him this way before. His eyes were a rich russet color, bursting with emotion and mixing beautifully with small specks of emerald and gold. Had he had those dimples before? Because now they seemed to be the most charming things in her world. Since when did those freckles sprout on the tip of his nose? She resisted the urge to trace the pattern with her fingertip. This could not be her best friend before her, could it? _

_Rachel hadn't even noticed that she didn't respond until he smiled a lop-sided grin and asked whether he had said something wrong. She grinned back and was just about to reply when everyone around them turned and stared, wide-eyed and expectant. Rachel Berry was used to people noticing her – after all, she was a real live star – but she suddenly felt self-conscious. Had she something on her face? _

_Glancing around and noticing that even Master Belch was on tenterhooks beside her, Rachel turned back to Finn self-consciously, only to see a look of understanding cross his features. But before she had time to _insist _that he tell her what was going on _right this instant_….he kissed her._

_Expressing the way it felt would be impossible for even Rachel Berry to describe. When his massive hand cupped her cheek in a soft hold, her breaths started to come out in muted pants. His lips were soft, sweet, and tasted deliciously of sugar and chocolate. It lasted no longer than five seconds, but it was enough to assure her that she'd just developed a heart murmur; it appeared that it had stopped beating altogether. _

_It took longer than it should have for Rachel to open her eyes, and even longer for her parted lips to seal shut. When she did manage to restart her heart, however, she stared disbelievingly at Finn, grinning like the Cheshire cat and licking his ice cream cone merrily. Meeting her eyes, he nudged her shoulder playfully before motioning toward home plate, mumbling something about his favorite player being up to bat. _

_What just happened?_

_Noticing that Rachel's eyes were about to pop from their sockets, Finn chuckled slightly and used his forefinger to turn her chin toward the big screen above right field. The Kiss Cam was currently on an old married couple, giving each other a light peck as everyone cheered._

_Rachel wasn't sure what this even meant. As the screen replayed their kiss and all the others in a montage once more, Rachel couldn't help but wonder if it was really the pressure of the fans that made him do it, or… What was the other option? Honestly, Rachel really didn't know._

_The rest of the game seemed to have flashed before her eyes. It was like she couldn't get her brain to function the way it had been before, and ever since she'd noticed those endearing dimples of his, Rachel couldn't seem to tear her eyes away. She felt like the biggest creep, openly gawking at her best friend this way, but he'd started it! He just had to kiss her like that, and now… Now her stomach felt funny and her cheeks felt hot and she couldn't keep that damn smile from her lips. What had happened to her? _

_She wasn't entirely sure how to answer that question either, but she found out very soon that this one would be plaguing her mind for a long, _long _time. _

_

* * *

_

_You're more than a lover,  
There could never be another to make me feel the way you do.  
Oh, we just get closer,  
I fall in love all over every time I look at you.  
And I don't know where I'd be without you here with me.  
Life with you makes perfect sense.  
You're my best friend,  
You're my best friend (my best friend)_

Closing his eyes, Finn breathed in deeply and repeated the ending once more.

_You're my best friend (my best friend)._

When the song finished and Finn smiled that endearing dimpled grin, Rachel was sure the world stopped spinning. But truthfully, that seemed to happen a lot anymore. There was no notable change in the room, no sparks flying around or fireworks shooting through the air. Finn finished his song with a great big smile and gladly took his seat next to Rachel, making a point to look to her for her approval. This time, though, all she could offer was a wondering smile. At that moment a question entered her mind, and she wondering abruptly if she had been asking the wrong thing all along.

Did the '_when'_ really matter?

What difference did it make when she'd first noticed the sparkle in his eyes, or the innocence of his smile, or the beautiful melody of his laugh? Why would the _'when'_ matter when '_how in the_ hell_'_ was such a more enticing question? All Rachel knew was that just hearing the name Finn Hudson made her heart flutter like the wings of a butterfly, soaring through her gut like lightning. She couldn't think straight when he was around, her thoughts clouding in a foggy mess, and when he sang to her, she couldn't believe there was anything else in the world more extraordinary than his sweet voice fusing with hers. She felt whole when he was around, and she missed him when he wasn't. It was like a piece of her had been stolen away.

So did it matter when it happened, or where, or even why? Rachel just knew that now, everything was different, and neither would ever return to the way they once were. At some point, a thought both exciting and terrifying entered her mind, and since that day Rachel had never been able to rid of it.

Staring at the grinning boy next to her, chatting endlessly about how was he _sure _that Brad guy was the creep who lived in the janitor's closet, Rachel knew it. It hit her like the icy force of a grape slushie and seeped past her clothes straight through to her core. There was no going back, and there seemed no end in sight.

She knew, with utmost certainty, that she had fallen for her best friend.

* * *

**A/N#2: I'm thinking this is the end of this one-shot/two-shot/whatever you'd call it! If there's an interest though, I can possibly post something a little fluffier (if possible), that might include the two taking a step past friendship... I don't know though, thoughts on this would be very much appreciated :) Thanks!**


	3. Dazed and Confused

**A/N: So I'm gonna try to keep this as short as possible, 'cause this story is already incredibly long and I'm pretty tired haha. So sorry for the wait on this one, guys. I just started a summer session class and it's taking over my life. I'm really not looking forward to taking boring classes like this one in college... Anyway, I promised this would be up by Saturday, and where I'm at, it's currently 5:17AM on Saturday morning! (Why does that always seem to be when I post these things?) **

**Before I let you get to reading, just a quick plug: I've quickly become a total Fanfic junkie (I'm sure you can tell!), and I've gotten this other idea for a long, multi-chapter story - totally AU (per usual) but I haven't seen anything else like it, so I started writing it. I'll probably post the first chapter sometime later today, so if anyone's interested, check it out please! It's called "Learning to Fall". Thanks :)**

**I honestly can't thank you guys enough for reading and reviewing! Seriously, my friends think I'm crazy when I see an e-mail about a review and start smiling like an idiot. It's honestly one of the best things in the world, so thank you so so so incredibly much! :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

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* * *

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"**He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. " - Leo Tolstoy**

"**A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." - ****Ingrid Bergman**

Rachel Barbara Berry was not one for clichés, or so she liked to believe, but if there was one thing she dreamed of almost as much as being a star, it was her Prom night.

She'd been told that yellow was her color before, but now she knew it. Gazing at her reflection in the full length mirror, she couldn't help the mega-watt grin that spread across her glossy lips. Her hair was curled perfectly in a bun at the nap of her neck, her bangs curled and clipped to the side in a beautiful diamond barrette. Her dress flowed down in waves to the floor, the sunshine hue enhancing the olive color of her skin and the blush of her cheeks. Though the four-inch heels weren't the easiest things to walk in, she couldn't refuse them. They were gorgeous, and they completed her look perfectly.

"I look good!" she dared, instilling in herself one last burst of confidence before her fairytale began.

She couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Her dream dress had been found, her day had gone flawlessly, and her dream date had actually asked to take her. Bobby Jenson was perfect. Rachel knew she often fell hard and fast, but this was different – _everyone _loved him.

She'd met him one day when she was waiting for Finn after his baseball game. He was taking much too long coming out of the locker room, and Rachel began pacing along the bleachers when she heard Bobby's voice. They'd flirted a little, or so Rachel believed. She'd never really _flirted _with anyone, but she liked the feeling, and his dimpled smile seemed to agree. He asked her whether she would be attending the Prom being held soon, and before she could answer, Finn rushed up and interrupted their moment. Thankfully though, Bobby found her in school the next day and finished the job – he asked if she'd like to go with him. He was so nervous and sweet about it that she didn't even take a second before responding with an absolute "yes", squealing like a lovesick teenager when he walked away. He was perfect, and she was sure her night was going to be too.

Checking her clock beside her bed, she realized it was already five o'clock; Bobby had said he'd be picking her up by four thirty. A tinge of panic shot through her before she could smother it. Where was he?

The ringing of the doorbell thankfully answered her unspoken thoughts and it was like he read her mind. Just more proof that he was perfect…

Vaguely she heard her father open the door and greet him. "It's so nice to see you again, Finn. You look so handsome."

Finn? Her father could be so scatterbrained sometimes. He had never been very good at keeping names straight. She'd have to apologize to Bobby later for her Daddy's absentmindedness.

Rachel exited her room and raced down the hall to the edge of the stairs, all the while her stomach twisting in anticipated knots.

In her mind it was one of those picturesque moments where the girl walks so angelically down the stairs to an awaiting crowd, the center of which being her handsome and mesmerized date. The crowd would "oh" and "ah"; hell, they might even cry a little. And her date would extend his hand, look her in the eyes, and tell her how beautiful she was.

Well, those sorts of Disney channel movies are great and all, but apparently they're totally lacking in authenticity.

It wasn't Bobby dressed in the white pinstripe tux with a pale yellow tie and vest. It wasn't Bobby holding out his hand along with a dozen blush roses, peeking up at her behind those adorable dark lashes. It wasn't Bobby grinning that beautiful grin while his mom fixed his yellow boutonniere. No.

It was Finn.

Before confusion even had time to settle in or logic began to put anything in order, Rachel was being pushed and pulled amongst her family, each member squeezing the life out of her and passing her off like a piece of meat.

"Rachel, honey, you look gorgeous!"

"That's my baby girl!"

Normally Rachel would have appreciated the flattering compliments, but focusing on anything but Bobby's absence proved instantly impossible. Where _was_ he?

Rachel looked at Finn again and again, wondering why and how he was the one standing next to her. He wasn't even going to Prom, as he insisted that he didn't "do" dances every time he was asked about it. Noticing her apprehensive look, he shot her one of those 'I'll tell you later, just smile' glares. Rachel obediently did just that. She smiled nicely for an obnoxiously intense onslaught of pictures, sparing her family the Jerry Springer showdown, and assured her daddies that she'd call them later. It wasn't easy, but she could use every chance she got to perfect her acting abilities.

By the time pictures were over and the duo had reached the car without being completely suffocated, Rachel was too anxious to hold back.

"Alright," She burst, turning in her seat to face Finn with a deathly glare. "Would you like to explain to me what the hell is going on?"

"Look, Rach, this wasn't my idea," Finn sighed, glancing to her slightly in hopes that her ears weren't emitting scary smoke like those cartoons he watched. He had a very hyperactive imagination… "All I know is that Bobby texted me today saying he couldn't go to Prom with you, and that he was real sorry."

Rachel Berry was not one to openly proclaim such disgusting vulgar language, but there were plenty of profanities bombarding her thoughts, and a few that even bubbled to her lips.

"Calm down, Rachel," Finn soothed warily. Finn had been on the receiving side of more of these outbursts than he'd like to admit and he was really starting to feel sorry for Bobby's face. Rachel's eyes looked as if they'd catch fire. "Look, I'm not gonna let that ass ruin your night. I'm not gonna let you get hurt."

No, this was absolutely, irrevocably unacceptable. Defiance written all over her features, Rachel crossed her arms tightly across her chest and huffed dramatically into her seat, desperately willing the tears not to fall. She was absolutely convinced her night and her _life_ were forever ruined.

"Come on, Rachel," Finn begged. "I…" He hesitated before speaking again, which only vaguely grabbed her attention. It usually took Finn an extra second or two to gather his thoughts.

Finn groaned, rubbing a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "I know the tux isn't the nicest and I didn't get you one of those flower-bracelet things… but I got the last yellow vest I could find, and the flower place was closed but…" he reached in the backseat and returned with a single yellow tulip. "…I grabbed this flower from the neighbor's yard before I left, 'cause I remembered you talking about how much you liked them. It kind of matches your dress too… I think…"

Finn continued as if he wasn't sure where to stop. "And I know that I'm wearing my Chuck Taylor's, but I don't have any kind of dressy shoes and I didn't have enough time to get a new pair. I…" He stopped mid-sentence and turned uncertainly toward the passenger's seat, most likely wondering how and why Rachel had suddenly become so quiet.

Nothing scared Rachel Berry more than losing her voice – she had briefly experienced the malfunction and, it's safe to say, her personal hygiene did not bode well – but right now, she couldn't quite stuff "panic" into the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing. She couldn't even differentiate between the ones she was. She stared up at Finn, wondering what in the hell any of this even meant, and, per usual, met his confused, befuddled face. And despite the pounding jackhammer that was her heartbeats, she couldn't help but smile. Finn could always help her find her voice.

Finn only looked more baffled. "Rachel," he tried uneasily. "You okay? I never know if 'smile' means 'happy' or 'crazy' with you…"

Rachel just grinned wider at his typical eloquence. "I'm fine, Finn," she announced, firmly setting her chin up high. "I'll try my hardest to make this night as delightful and extraordinary as possible. I simply cannot express my utmost gratitude toward your stupendous courtliness. You have redefined the term "chivalry", Finn Hudson. Truly chivalrous…"

Finn scratched his ear hesitantly. "Okay, well… Good," he tried, flashing his half smile and hoping to God that was enough of a response. He'd forgotten his dictionary at home, but the smile beaming from her lips told him they were happy words, so he figured he should smile in return.

Attempting to calm her nerves and not burst into another increasingly complex soliloquy, Rachel breathed out and grasped Finn's hand on the gearshift. He looked to her curiously, and she sent him a soft smile. "Thank you, Finn. This really means a lot to me. You've officially given me my very own Prom fantasy."

This time Finn let out a real laugh; _those _words he understood.

"Hey, don't get too ahead of yourself," he chuckled, peeking one eye toward her. "You've seen me dance, right?"

* * *

If Rachel Berry _ever_ for a _second _thought her night was ruined, she was pleasantly mistaken.

There was a little over an hour left to the dance, and all in all Rachel had to say she enjoyed herself. Perhaps this was thanks in big part to the boy sitting to her right, placing two breadsticks from the table in his mouth to pretend he was a walrus, then laughing as if it were the greatest thing in the world. Rachel personally felt that his laugh was, but she'd be the first to admit she was extremely biased.

As disastrous as the night initially seemed, Rachel wouldn't change any of it. This resolution was only reaffirmed when Finn passed a small, shy smile her way after choking on one of his "tusks".

"This is ridiculous!" he suddenly announced, throwing his hands up with a huff. "We're not just gonna sit here all night and pretend like you're having fun, are we?"

"I am having fun," Rachel protested, watching as he got up to tower over her. He really did look adorable in that yellow vest.

He narrowed his eyes. "As much as I appreciate you laughing at my George Bush impression five times in a row, I know you're lying. You keep staring out at the dance floor every two minutes." He snuck a nervous glance out at all the dancers and turned back to her, attempting to seem unthreatened. It didn't work; even Rachel was intimidated.

Finn was nervously wringing his hands in front of his chest, sneaking anxious glances around at all the grinding couples flocking toward the dance floor. As much as she wanted to reach out and stopped his fussing though, Rachel wasn't confident enough yet to be that bold. Instead, she offered one of her characteristic, small smiles. "Finn, really, it's not a big deal. You did more than enough by just bringing me here. I'm not going to ask you to do anything else."

He was shaking his head before she had even finished. "No," he declared. "No, no, no. I won't let you not let me… Wait." He shook his head, confused, and Rachel couldn't help the girlish giggle that escaped her lips. "What I mean is…if you want to dance, you should dance. Just because your date–"

Her heart started playing hacky sack in her throat as he voiced that title.

"–has two left feet, doesn't mean that you should miss out."

He looked out once again as a fast-paced beat pounded from the speakers, absorbing the dance circle that was slowly forming, and reached up to shakily loosen his tie. His forehead looked as if it might have even had a sheen coat of sweat forming on it.

_What is he doing to me?_

Rachel's heartbeats were hammering in her chest almost as quickly as the tempo of the song, and that adorable nervous glint in his eyes was forming this strange emotional lump in her throat that made her want to either throw her arms around him or cry her eyes out. She'd never reacted this way before, and she had no idea what to do with it.

Somehow Finn managed to pull himself together to give Rachel a hard stare. "I'm serious, Rachel. Don't make me go out there and show you how it's done."

Grinning widely at her cheesy best friend, Rachel pushed her chair back with a vengeance and gladly took his outreached hand. She wished she could say there were these earth-shattering sparks that tingled as they touched, or this smoldering look they shared that had sent her entire body into flames, but she couldn't. There weren't. All she could focus on was how magnetic his smile was and the way one was drawn to her lips as well. His hand was warm and slightly rough, and twice the size of hers as he wrapped his whole palm around her fingers. It just felt…natural, comfortable. _Right._

A new, less intense song started as the two edged the dance floor, and Rachel pulled lightly on Finn's fingers when she felt his body stop to a halt. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly before opening them and offering a pained smile, one Rachel couldn't help but chuckle at. He was so overdramatic.

"Now," Rachel said, reaching for his other hand and holding them in between their chests. "Dancing is all about finding the beat. It's about feeling the music and just letting yourself go." Finn winced, and Rachel smiled encouragingly. "Just, let your body move with the music." She demonstrated by slowly moving her hips back and forth, picking up pace as the song increased in cadence. Finn's brow creased in concentration as he looked down at his feet, slowly but surely rocking them from side to side along the floor. He had accomplished what is referred to as the "side shuffle", and Rachel realized that might be all he could do.

His eyes were looking for some sort of response to his efforts, and she decided that she needed a different approach. Her eyes scanned the floor before stopping on her old Math teacher, Mr. Wilson, swaying lovingly in the corner with his wife. Rachel smiled at the image before looking back toward Finn, his tongue sticking out between his teeth as he focused on standing upright.

"Okay," she said, stopping his movements with a hand to his chest and a timid smile. "New strategy."

He nodded his head fervently and that damn smile on her face was going to be etched there permanently. He needed to stop being so damn cute.

"Just…" Rachel cautiously slid her hand up his broad chest to rest delicately on his shoulder. She lifted her other hand up and linked it with his, feeling as his other palm instinctively rested on her hip. She subconsciously licked her suddenly dry lips. Looking up to meet his eyes, Finn looked…confused. She smiled, _typical. _"Sway," she commanded.

"Sway?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting uncertainly.

"Yeah, you know," Rachel pushed, overemphasizing her movements, hoping he'd catch on. It was bound to happen someday, right?

"_Okay,"_ Finn muttered, trying his damndest to copy her steps. It appeared to be working, since he hadn't stepped on her feet _once_ and she was actually smiling.

"There you go, Finn!" she commended, daring him as she lifted their linked hands and did a graceful spin. "I told you. Easy."

"I think you're just a good teacher," he grinned, taking the initiative and twirling her around again.

She couldn't help but smile back; she never could, could she?

* * *

When she got home, Rachel was going to make sure she marked this night as one of the best of her life.

If anyone ever told her Finn would do all this for her, she wouldn't have believed them. He hadn't left her side all night, catering to anything she might have asked for, with a heartbreaking smile on his lips that she was sure was designed to kill.

After the dance had ended, the couple accompanied their fellow Glee clubbers at the hippest place in town – Smokey's Bowling Lanes. Rachel had to admit – bowling in a full-length gown proved much more difficult than she had originally thought, but it was still loads of fun. Her favorite part of the night? Probably when a table of junior high boys hooted and whistled as she tripped on her dress, effectively flashing them a very clear picture of her lace-clad butt. Normally, that would have been beyond humiliating…except for the fact that Finn ran over, lifting her up and quickly smoothing down her dress before placing his arm around her protectively. After he'd walked her back to their table, he politely excused himself to "have a chat" with the snickering boys. When he returned, he had a pleasant smile on his face, and when Rachel turned to search for the boys, they were long gone.

By the end of the night she was _exhausted. _She guessed Finn's smile was bound to do it sometime. Finn walked her to her door, carrying her shoes and purse while Rachel tried desperately to keep her dress from dragging on the ground. When they reached her front porch, she was once again blinded by the beauty of his unabashed smile.

"Finn," she started, tilting her head slightly, wondering vaguely how this perfect night could possibly end. A slight part of her was hopeful – he must have felt their spark all night too, right? How could he not? Maybe this would be it…

"I can't even begin to tell you how much this night meant to me," she whispered.

"Really? That's a first," Finn chuckled, shifting on his feet as she laughed quietly.

Rachel's insides felt like they might explode. If she was going to do this right, she couldn't have him being all charming and distracting her. She needed to focus.

"What I mean is," she tried again, looking down as she shyly placed a curl behind her ear. "Thank you. No one's ever done anything like that for me before, and tonight was one of the best nights I've ever had."

Finally Finn appeared to be taking her seriously. He smiled widely and placed a strong hand on her arm. She felt the spot blaze under his touch. "Of course, Rach. You're my best friend. I would never let some douche ruin something you've been dreaming about forever." There he goes again, she thought. Her nerves felt like they had walked off without her.

"I'm just glad I didn't ruin it," Finn finished, dropping his hand and giving her a cheeky smile.

Rachel shook her head furiously. "Of course not, Finn. You could never."

When Finn met her eyes, Rachel forgot to breathe. She knew the moment of truth was only seconds away, and she suddenly wasn't sure whether she was fearless enough for this. The cynical part of her brain mocked her ruthlessly, urging her to forget the whole stupid idea and not ruin something that was already so perfect. But the hopeful side? Well, it told her to just go for it. And Rachel had always ignored all kinds of negativity.

_Just breathe,_ she reminded herself.

Her eyes flicked from his eyes to his lips and back up, her tongue swiping across her bottom lip as her mind flooded with hope. She could feel sparks already igniting around them, and her cheeks burned with that familiar heated blush. When she reached his eyes again, she found all the things familiar to her, and she knew this was right. No one ever made her feel this way, no one but Finn. And now he would finally know it.

Carefully as not to startle him, Rachel took a slight step forward and reached for his hand, a burst of confidence shooting through her core when he interlocked their fingers. She gave him a few moments, just to test the waters and see if perhaps he would make the first move. When he didn't, she tried not to let it affect her resolve. She had made a decision, and nothing would change her mind. Looking back up to his face, she found her strength and leaned in.

"Bump it?"

_What?_

Peeking up at him behind heavy lids, Rachel felt her heart catch in her throat. He had his hand up in a fist, looking toward her expectantly, and she would have preferred that he just knocked her right out.

He wanted a fist bump. A _fist bump?_

Rachel couldn't get out of this nightmare fast enough. She quickly averted her gaze and raised her fist uncertainly, Finn's knuckles knocking with hers briefly before he muttered something about curfew and practically darted to his truck. Feeling that familiar burning in her eyes, her heart thumped loudly and rejection attempted to swallow her whole.

He hadn't felt it. He didn't feel the same way. Denial pooled in her heart for a second before it was trumped by the truth – he didn't want her. Rachel tried to swallow down her parched throat and tasted salt on her tongue. Tears streamed endlessly down her crimson cheeks as those awful words played ruthlessly through her mind.

He didn't _want_ her.

She'd put herself out there, and he shot her down. She gave him access to her heart, and he denied it. She handed him the key, and he threw it away. Rachel couldn't stop these comparisons from filling her mind, her flare for the dramatics making the pain insufferable. Her flower hit the ground the moment her heart did, and a strangled sob bubbled to her lips.

Somewhere within her, she found a small bit of irony that she couldn't help but chuckle at, albeit scathingly. Finn was right – he _had_ managed to ruin this.

* * *

Finn was beyond baffled.

Confusion was an everyday occurrence for Finn, kind of like breathing or peeing. But this was more. This was…this was… _worse. _

Rachel wouldn't talk to him. Most of the time, getting Rachel to shut up was like trying to understand what a girl was thinking – impossible. But now she just…stopped.

He'd thought their night was perfect; Rachel even said so herself. He'd done everything he could think of and more. Endlessly he replayed every moment of the night and tried to find a flaw, but he came up short time and time again. And Finn was a pretty tall guy. Something just wasn't adding up.

When Finn snuck over to her house that night, only to find his knocks on her window unanswered, he attributed the cause to their long and tiring night. She was probably exhausted and already sound asleep, he told himself, so he dejectedly hurried back home and left her a "goodnight" text before slipping into a slumber as well.

The next day, he decided to head out early for a run, and his calls to ask her to go with him were again, unreturned. A brief unsettling stirred in his stomach before he shook it away; she probably had told him she would be busy and he just didn't remember. That seemed to happen a lot.

Soon enough, though, those feelings of apprehension began to churn. They grew with each ignored phone call and unanswered text, and catapulted when he visited her house and was left standing at her door for ten minutes, each knock hitting his heart uneasily. So, she was mad at him. That he was sure of. But Finn just wasn't sure about the _why _part_. _

Sunday passed miserably for Finn; he wasn't used to spending this long without Rachel, and he didn't like it one bit. He resorted to calling her landline only to briefly chat with her Dad, who told her that Rachel appeared to be "out at the moment" and he'd "make sure to relay his message". Fear threatened to choke him when he passed her house to see her car still in the driveway.

Monday was worse. Perfect attendance was one of the many things Rachel Berry prided herself on, yet her seat in homeroom was left empty that morning and the hallways seemed dimmer without her bright smile. Finn couldn't help the wave of depression that consumed him, nor could he understand it. He and Rachel had gotten into fights before, but this one felt different. This one felt final. And that scared him more than dancing ever could.

When she returned to school that Tuesday, he was positive she was avoiding him. She got to homeroom barely before the bell rang, so of course Finn didn't get a chance to confront her. And when the bell for first period sounded, she bolted out of that room faster than Finn could conjure up a "hello". Of course she was in all the smart people classes, so Finn wouldn't be able to see her until she stopped by her locker at the end of the day. He decided to be clever and place a note on the door, asking her to meet him in the choir room immediately. Girls liked that kind of stuff, right? He watched from the end of the hallway as she peeled the paper from the locker and read its contents, before crumbling it in a ball and tossing it in the garbage bin on her way out.

It felt like she had crumbled up his heart.

Wednesday he made up his mind to just ambush her. Getting to school extra early, he leaned firmly against her locker and waiting _patiently _for her to walk through the doors. When he spotted her and their eyes met, he could tell she wanted to run, but he wasn't having any of it. She was going to talk to him. He was her best friend, damn it!

"Rach!" he shouted, waving her over enthusiastically. "Rachel!"

Rachel suppressed a frown as she waved back shortly, slowly making her way over to him.

"Hi," she muttered, opening the door of her locker and quickly gathering her things. Finn figured he'd better talk fast.

"I've been calling you and stuff for the past couple days. Where've you been?" From past experience, Finn knew never to accuse Rachel Berry of _anything, _so he figured playing dumb would work best.

Rachel sighed. "Yeah, sorry Finn. I've just been really busy lately."

"Really?" Finn tried, scratching his ear uncomfortably. He didn't like that she wouldn't look at him. "'Cause it kinda seems like you might be mad at me."

She shut her locker with a bang and looked up to meet his face. Finn's stomach tensed when she didn't meet his eyes. "I'm fine, Finn," she said, her voice doing that thing he noticed it did when she was lying. What did she say it was? Faltering? Yeah, her voice faltered.

The bell sounded and she quickly fixed her bag on her shoulder. "I really better go," she recovered, already turning on her heel and heading the opposite direction. "Can you tell Mr. Schue I won't be in homeroom this morning? Thanks," she called, before scurrying away. Had his legs not felt like jell-o, Finn might have followed her. But he was never that lucky.

Thursday, it seemed his luck started to turn around. Rachel still wasn't talking to him much, but after a long, rather uncomfortable conversation with his mother about the whole situation, Finn assured himself that in time, Rachel would get over it. Obviously if he couldn't even figure out what he did, it couldn't have been that serious. And knowing Rachel's unfailing tendency to be overly dramatic, Finn was sure she'd be back to normal in a few days or so. If not, he could always resort to plan B: serenading her with her favorite show tune. Sometimes being cheesy worked in his favor.

Things got better when he entered English that day, which usually was when his head started to pound from all the confusing words his teacher spit out. Mrs. Hanley was babbling about unrequested love, or something like that, and Finn's eyes started to droop shut when he felt a pencil poking into his back. He turned around to meet a pair of beautiful hazel eyes, belonging to none other than Emma James – that ridiculously hot Cheerio with the nice rack and moves like a gymnast. Finn had heard stories about her, and let's just say she had some _very _strong admirers.

Emma quietly asked if he was getting anything from what their teacher was going on about, and assuming that she would ask for his help, Finn quickly answered yes. When she smiled and asked if maybe the two could get together at her place that Friday night and "study", Finn Junior spoke for him and shot up with a "hell yes".

So for the first time, Finn left English with a strut in his step and his head up high (literally). He could hardly hold in his excitement when he entered Glee that day and heard Rachel running her fingers up the piano, humming along to some tune he couldn't decipher. Forgetting the tension that had been present for the past few days, Finn glided over and forcefully plopped down on the bench next to her.

"Rach, I have like, the best news ever," he started, his voice loud in his enthusiasm. He heard her sigh and despondently ask what it was. Ignoring her disinterest, the words bubbled to his lips before his brain could warn him otherwise. "I have a date with Emma James tomorrow night!"

He heard her fingers falter on the keys and her sharp intake of breath, and the memories raced back to him like one swift kick to the 'nads. Before he could check the expression on her face though, she promptly lifted herself from the seat and began stacking some sheet music lying on the desk in the corner. "That's great, Finn," she muttered, clearing her throat before continuing. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time."

Finn stood shakily and decided against approaching her. It just didn't feel right. "Yeah, thanks," he muttered, wondering how he could make this better. "Maybe I can borrow one of your sweaters for the night? I think I might be able to pull one off," he tried. She didn't laugh, and he realized the joke wasn't funny.

"Sure, Finn," she mumbled, in the same monotone she'd been using all week.

Silence filled the space between them, and it felt…_weird_.

Rachel cleared her throat again before speaking, and it felt like a hammer had just pounded on his heart. "I actually have a date of my own tomorrow night, so I'll have to see which ones I can spare."

_Wait, what?_

Finn was sure he'd imagined that, but when Rachel asked whether he'd heard her or not, the nauseating reality hit him like a Mack truck. He spoke the first words embedded in his mind. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She calmly moved to another stack and he grew frustrated at her composure. "I don't know. I didn't think it was that important."

Finn scoffed. "The hell it isn't. I have a right to know these things!" He knew he shouldn't be acting like this, but they were best friends! They told each other everything, and he was _sure _things like some scumbag asking her on a date were top priority. Why did he feel blood pounding in his ears?

"Oh?" she asked inattentively. "Why's that?"

"Because…because I do!" Finn sputtered, inching toward her with each word. He'd be damned if she thought she could keep this up forever.

So quickly he wasn't sure how it happened, Rachel turned dangerously on her heel, meeting his eyes in a cold, hard stare. Her hissing demand was venomous. "Why?"

The question held more meaning that Finn could even fathom, and he blanched when he couldn't find the answer. Why _did _he care so much? He couldn't even begin to guess.

Rachel laughed slightly, though it lacked any real humor. It was more like she was laughing _at _him. "That's what I thought," she muttered, turning back around to her papers.

Grasping at straws, Finn let his mouth spill with the questions plaguing him all week. "Why are you so mad at me? What did I do?"

When Rachel met his eyes again, Finn was sure he'd never seen such sadness there. Whoever did this to her was gonna pay, that Finn was sure of. He unconsciously took a step forward, to do what, he didn't know. It just felt like he had to. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper, but he could still hear it crack. "Nothing, Finn," she whispered. "That's just it. You didn't do _anything_."

Before he could even call her on her lie though, he heard the rest of the club pile in, and their happy chatter contrasted the previous mood absurdly. He watched bleakly as Rachel whisked away and seated herself between Kurt and Quinn without another word, and then as she fled the room without so much as a backwards glance when the class had ended.

He sighed. Luck kind of sucked.

* * *

"And I know I'm only a sophomore, but I really think I'm the best person for the job. Being on the top of the pyramid is an important responsibility, and that Ms. Sylvester _insists_ on giving it to that slut Quinn Fabray is just outrageous."

Finn couldn't help but compare Emma's meaningless rant to the ones Rachel graced him with daily. At least Rachel's were about _important _things, even if he didn't quite understand them all the time.

Finn was having trouble focusing. Despite being briefly distracted by Emma's incredibly short denim skirt and low-cut top, Finn's mind was spinning in thoughts of Rachel. How dare she treat him like that! He couldn't believe that after over three years of friendship she could be so cold toward him. She said it herself – he hadn't done _anything. _How could she still be angry, then?

Her words replayed in his mind like a cyclone ripping through. Actually, it was really only _one _of her words. _Why?_ That was the question playing on repeat in his head all night, and try as he might, he simply could _not _find the answer. It shouldn't be bothering him this much. He hadn't cared when Bobby had asked her to the Prom. Well, he kind of did, but after having a _brief _discussion with him about if he'd ever hurt Rachel Finn would _personally _rip off his balls and dangle them from his rearview mirror, he felt a little better. Now though? He couldn't keep the frustrating images of Rachel with some jackass all night, holding her hand and kissing her cheek and feeling her up. It was making him sick, and nothing he did could fix it.

"Finn?" Emma asked, breaking his thoughts just enough for him to respond.

"Hmm?"

"Are you not having a good time? Am I talking too much? I knew it. You think I'm fat. I shouldn't have–"

"No, no," Finn sighed, interrupting her before he inevitably got blamed for this. That always seemed to happen with girls. He didn't want to accidently call her ugly or something. "I'm just a little distracted."

Emma reached over to place her hand atop his own, and it did nothing to soothe him. "How come?"

He didn't want to tell her, but Finn couldn't seem to keep the words in. "Me and my best friend are kind of having a fight right now," he muttered, seeing her eyes narrow in confusion like she didn't know whom he was talking about.

"Rachel? Rachel Berry?" she asked. Finn nodded, and to his surprise, she started to laugh.

"That girl is so weird," she giggled, not at all affected when Finn pulled his hand from hers. "She follows you around like a lost puppy."

Finn grew irritated. "No, she doesn't."

Emma just laughed again. "Yeah, she does," she insisted. "She's like, in love with you or something. I'm surprised you guys haven't done the deed by now. Everyone already thinks you're together."

Finn blanched, literally. He felt all the blood drain from his face and his eyes felt hollow in their sockets. His mind was racing in thoughts and memories and images of Rachel, flashing briefly to the scene on her front steps just nights before. But it was long enough.

He felt sick, and he knew he needed to get out of there. "I'm sorry, Emma," he sputtered, bursting from his seat and gathering his books haphazardly. "I have to go. I'm really sorry."

Finn had never sped before in his life – mostly because driving still scared the piss out of him and Rachel would never allow it – but this was important. He had to know, he just had to. He had never been a really religious guy, but he found himself praying profusely to whoever would listen that Rachel would be home. If she'd gone out with that guy, he might just have to kill himself.

Not even bothering to remove his keys from the ignition, Finn threw open the car door and sprinted to the back of her house. He briefly noticed that her car was the only one in the driveway, so he didn't bother to keep his knocks quiet as he pounded on her window.

When she didn't answer immediately, his heart began to pound its way out his chest. "Rachel!" he called, knocking even harder. "I know you can hear me! Open up!"

Looking around frantically, Finn spotted a rather large flower pot and grabbed it, tipping out its contents and flipping it over to step on. Thanking the heavens that he was six foot three, he peeked in through her window and saw the bluish glare coming from her television screen. So she _was _there. This only made him pound harder.

"Come on, Rach! I'm sorry, okay? Please, just open the window!" Finn scowled when he heard the volume on the TV turn up, but she knew him better than that. He'd have to pull out the big guns.

"Don't be such a drama queen! I can see the glare from your retainer from here!"

He couldn't help but chuckle when he heard the sound get muted and her stomp over to the window. She whipped it open angrily and he almost fell off the pot. "What do you want?" she shouted, her words slurred a bit by the retainer in her mouth. She growled dangerously and ripped it from her mouth, strutting away from the window as he climbed in.

"Finally!" he cried. "I was gonna start singing to you next."

Defiantly, Rachel crossed her arms and made no move to respond, so Finn just sighed and asked the first question on his mind. "Aren't you supposed to be on your date right now?"

"Aren't _you_ supposed to be halfway up Emma's skirt by now?"

Finn opened his mouth to object but decided it was trivial. Instead, he let his emotions go. "You know, I don't know what your problem is, Rachel!" he began, not bothering to keep his anger intact. He was confused, he was upset, he was pissed. Why hide it?

"_Me?"_ she seethed, staring disbelievingly. "How is _any _of this _my _fault?"

"Because it is!" he bellowed. "I don't know what you did, but you've officially ruined my life!"

Rachel looked like he'd just accused her of lip-syncing. Her face was a mask of horror, but Finn wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise.

"You know, everything was fine before _stupid _Prom!" he shouted, watching as she squeezed her arms across her chest forcefully. "I don't know what happened between then and now, but I do know that now everything's different. And I _hate _it!"

"Well I'm sorry I'm so repulsive to you!" Rachel screeched, glaring daggers at him. She angrily marched over to the edge of her bed and plopped down, arms still folded against her body.

Finn threw his hands up dramatically. "What are you even _talking _about?" he roared. "Haven't you been listening to a _word _I've been saying?"

"Apparently I'm just some hideous imbecile, Finn. Please, explain it to me!"

Finn shook his head furiously at her defiance. "I can't stop _fucking _thinking about you!" he growled. "Guys would have _killed _to have been me tonight, on a date with one of the easiest girls on the _planet, _and all I could think about was how my _best friend _hadn't talked to me in _days_! Days, Rachel! Do you think I enjoyed that? Are you trying to punish me or something? Because I really don't know what I did to deserve this!"

For the first time since he started talking, Finn didn't have to fight for dominance. Rachel's voice seemed to have temporarily disappeared, but Finn knew better than to let up.

"I thought I did a _good _thing by taking you to the dance, Rach! I knew how much it meant to you, and I just couldn't see that asshole ruin something like that for you. Nobody should make you feel like you're not worth it, ya know?" Finn lost some of his fervor when Rachel grew more and more silent, but he needed to say this. He cautiously made his way over and sat next to her on the bed, relaxing when she didn't move away. He wasn't going back to quiet Rachel; he realized he didn't like her very much.

"I'm not gonna keep doing this, Rachel. This…this fighting all the time and that annoying silent treatment you've had me under. I won't do it, Rach. You mean too much to me. Please. Tell me. Just tell me _what _happened, or _didn't _happen between then and now, and I'll fix it. Because honestly, I'm lost!"

Finn felt like the breath had fled from his lungs, and it wasn't due to his long-winded speech.

No, said breathlessness was caused by his best friend's lips crashing into his.

Finn often wished he was a bit quicker on the uptake, but it seemed luck was just out to get him. He didn't know what to do; he honestly had no clue what was happening. His pulse pounded on his eardrums and his head felt fuzzy, like someone was banging on his football helmet with a hammer. His lips buzzed like static and he couldn't decide if his feet were planted on the ground or if they were thirty feet in the air. Was he kissing her back? He didn't know, because the second the thought crossed his mind, his lips stopped buzzing and his feet hit the floor with a _bang._

A pained, horrified expression crossed Rachel's features as he stared, dumbfounded, at her.

_What just happened?_

Rachel shot up from the bed and began babbling at an extremely dizzying rate, fully equipped with rapid hand gestures and a hint of nervous hysteria. Honestly Finn wasn't sure how to respond. He heard her rant about how sorry she was and how she was venomously blaming her "ever-burgeoning teenage hormones", and he started to wonder whether they had shared the same kiss.

Hadn't she felt it too? Weren't her lips tingling like she'd just eaten a whole bag of Pop Rocks, her head spinning like Mr. Schue had just droned on about "falsettos" and "staccatos" and all that crap? Were they not in the same room?

Finn got confused a lot, and he means a _lot, _but this was just insane – this couldn't be his best friend in front of him. When had his best friend grown _boobs?_ When had her bottom lip grown so pink and plump, begging for him to run his tongue against? His hands felt compelled to trace their way down her suddenly enticing curves; he wondered why they weren't doing so yet. Finn was accustomed to confusion, but this… this was so much more.

Ignoring all the dizzying words that were surely coming out of her mouth, Finn couldn't help himself. He stood up and his hands seemed to move on their own accord. They ran from her shoulders up to her cheeks, reveling in the soft skin they grazed on their journey. His eyes never left Rachel's lips, which suddenly stopped moving as he glanced up to meet her eyes in an unbelieving gaze.

"Rach, shut up for a second," he muttered.

Carefully – very, _very _carefully – Finn positioned himself again mere inches from her lips, feeling her breath graze his lips as she shivered. His eyes fell shut as he caught her top lip in his, kissing her once, twice, a third time. Her responses were feather light; as if she were afraid he might break at any second. In all honestly, Finn felt the same way.

Finn finally pulled away, hoping Rachel would be able to make sense of all this for him. He had no idea what was going on, but he wondered if he was dying. His heart kept trying to jump out of his ears, and he was sure that couldn't be normal. He soon found his hands empty though, and opened his eyes to find Rachel pacing rapidly in front of him and growling dangerously.

_Uh oh…_

"Rachel?"

She ignored him completely, muttering to herself frighteningly as Finn stared in awe. He watched as the grimace on her lips changed to a smile then quickly back down into a glum frown, and he made a mental note to have her checked for Bipolar disorder. He'd looked up the symptoms one night after one of Rachel's particularly strange "episodes", and he was sure she fit all the major criteria.

"Rachel?" he tried again, moving a hand out to try and stop her. She looked as if she might burn a hole in the floor.

She moved quickly from his reach, her frantic words growing louder by the second. He managed to pick out the words "impossibly frustrating", "adorable dimples", and "big potato head", and he frowned. He didn't exactly like where this was going.

Taking a giant step forward and placing a palm on her shoulder, Finn tried a final time. "Rachel!"

"_What?" _she shouted, honestly frightening him a little as she spun around to face him.

"Can you stop talking to yourself?" he sheepishly asked. "It's kind of creeping me out."

Opening and closing her mouth, Rachel felt her head fall slack and droop forward, landing on Finn's chest with a sigh. Finn mechanically reached up to brush his fingers through her hair.

They stayed silent for a few moments, neither quite sure what to say. Finn knew enough to let Rachel have the first word, but it wasn't easy keeping quiet when all he wanted to do what tangle his tongue with hers. Finally, he heard Rachel mumble into his shirt.

"I don't know what to do," she muttered, and Finn nodded his head in agreement. When Rachel lifted her head up to look at him though, his options suddenly seemed very clear.

"You're my best friend, Finn," Rachel sighed. "What happens when we break up and ruin everything we have together? We shouldn't do this." Her actions betrayed her words though, as her fingertips ran along his jaw line and her eyes fluttered closed.

"I think it's too late for that, Rach," Finn whispered, his own eyes feeling heavy under her touch.

"I know," she smiled, eyes peering into his with a sparkle he'd never noticed before. He felt like he might be drowning, and he knew only one way to be saved.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Unbridled fear shot through him when he saw her eyes glisten with moisture, but it was quickly replaced with glee when he met her smiling nod.

"Cool," he grinned, bringing her lips to his again in a searing kiss.

Sure, Finn Hudson wasn't the smartest guy in the world. Math wasn't exactly his strong suit, and Shakespeare was not his cup of tea. He said the wrong thing a _lot,_ and he was confused about mostly everything on a daily basis. But if Finn knew one thing for sure, it was this:

He was sure as _hell _asking Rachel to next year's Prom.

* * *

**I'm thinking of calling the one-shot "Raspberries" the final installment of this, OR writing a kind of epilogue to wrap this one up. It would probably be incredibly fluffy, but I can't guarantee when I'd have it finished. Leave your thoughts in a review? It's all up to you guys! :))))**


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